Montreal commuter train line blocked in solidarity with B.C. pipeline protest

Province putting $8M into safe space for Thompson Indigenous women and families

An $8-million provincial investment in the Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Northern Lodge in Thompson fulfils the NDP’s 2023 election promise to establish three new 24-7 safe spaces for Indigenous women and their families in that city, Winnipeg and Brandon.

The lodge is expected to be up and running in 2028, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, who is also responsible for women and gender equity, said at a news conference in Winnipeg. It builds on a 2025 investment of $3.5 million to establish a first-of-its-kind 24-7 safe space for Indigenous women and their children in Winnipeg, and a 2024 investment of $500,000 to support the creation of Franny’s Place, a new 24-7 safe space in Brandon.

The Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag (Anishinaabemowin for “all women doing well”) Northern Lodge will operate as a community of care, offering culturally grounded supports that help individuals and families heal, stabilize and rebuild lives at risk of violence.

It will include 10 short-term private studio suites, a communal kitchen and living area, counselling and program space, laundry facilities and a dedicated child-minding area with Indigenous cultural teaching and play-based learning. Residents will have access to trauma-informed supports, cultural programming, parenting supports, peer support and supported connections to housing, health, education, employment and legal services.

Gillingham talks trash, pledges big bin boost

Scott Gillingham says he would add hundreds of locked garbage bins downtown to prevent unsightly trash piles if re-elected as mayor.

Gillingham led a program that added about 120 locked garbage bins along Portage Avenue and Main Street last fall, after trash was repeatedly strewn around the area. If he wins a second term, he plans to add at least 200 more of the receptacles.

A look at how one locked Main Street recycle/garbage bin in front of city hall fared offers an example of the bins’ success so far, he said.

“Every day, you would see the lids up, and people had been rifling through it, or someone left the lid up and the wind picked up the garbage and (spread) it everywhere. It’s much more difficult now. Once the garbage is in, the garbage stays in,” said Gillingham.

Calm, balanced approach to game, life is what matters to unassuming Stastny

When the day comes for Paul Stastny to hang up his skates for good, ending what’s already been a sparkling pro career, he hopes to leave a lasting mark on the game he loves.

He didn’t use the word legacy, nor would he. If you’ve had the chance to speak with Stastny before, you quickly realize his discomfort in talking about personal accolades, despite possessing many. He’s been selected as an NHL all-star, and represented the United States on multiple occasions, including at two Olympics.

In 961 NHL games, Stastny has 253 goals and 482 assists for 735 points. He’s played another 97 playoff games, having reached the Western Conference final on three separate occasions over his career, adding another 25 goals and 42 assists to his point totals. He’s still chasing his first Stanley Cup.

But at 35 years old, and in the middle of his 15th NHL season, which includes a second go-around with the Winnipeg Jets, it’s not what shows up on the scoresheet that matters most to the veteran centre. Stastny is acutely aware that professional sports can be unforgiving; a good season one year doesn’t necessarily guarantee one the next. But what doesn’t have to change, he says, is how he approaches the game, and the way he treats the people around him.

Demski taking it to another level

Brady Oliveira still remembers the first time he saw Nic Demski on the football field.

Commuter trains blocked south of Montreal

Protests in solidarity with opponents of a B.C. pipeline project spread Monday, bringing commuter rail traffic to a halt on a line near Montreal as train lines continued to be blocked in other parts of the country.

Service on the Montreal line was disrupted by opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation in northwestern British Columbia. The RCMP has been enforcing a court injunction and arresting those attempting to block access to the pipeline route.

In Montreal, a blockade set up over the weekend by Kahnawake Mohawk community members, featuring a Mohawk flag and a sign reading "RCMP off Wet'suwet'en land," hit home during the morning commute.

"This might be an inconvenience to some and we don't mean to offend or attack anybody in particular, like people just trying to go to work," a blockade member, identified as Wenhniseriio, told CTV Montreal. "It's unfortunate for them, but unfortunately for us, that's something we struggle with all the time because we're always inconvenienced."